Art of printing



Julyl 13 ,1926.

L. W. BRUNELL ART OF PRlNTIb-IG Filed June 1e, 1924 Edge.

2 Sheets-.Sheet 1 livenov: Leo Wiunell,

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UNITED STATES 1,592,806 PATENT OFFICE.

LEO W. BRUNELL, F FOXBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO EDWARD W. CALKINS, 0F ASHMON T, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ART 0I' PRINTING.

Application ined June 1s, 1924. seran no. 720,149.

This invention relates to the art of printing', and aims to provide a novel and improved method of and means for treating freshly printed sheets to dry the same, and to eliminate static charge therefrom.

The invention will be best undeistood by reference to the following'description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment by.

which the method may be carried out, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. y

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 ,is a skeletonized, conventional representation of a two-color printing press equipped with means for carrying out the method, some of the parts of my apparatus, however, being omitted for the sake of olearness, and because of the small scale of the view;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, on an enlarged omitted from Fig. l;

Fig. 3 1s a sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 3- 3 of Fig. 1, showing the fuel controllin valve which is responsive to the speed o the press; i l

ig..4 is a vertical, sectional view on an enlarged scale of the fuel controlling valve, which is synchronized with the press to furnish maximum and minimum amounts of cycle of the press;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of some' of the burners, their mounting, and the air and fuel supply conduits, on' an enlarged sca-le; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

eferring to the drawings, and to the embodiment of lected for exemplification, there is shown a two-color press of common form, having a framey 10, a type bed 11, impression cylinders 12 and 13, a transfer cylinder 14, two sets of inking rollers 15 and 16, a feed table 17, and delivery mechanism Vincluding two sets of upper and lower feed tapes 18 and 19,

another set of feed'tapes 20, to which thel tapes 18 and 19 deliver the sheets, and a reciprocating carriage 21, which receives' the sheets from the tapes 20 and delivers them one by one onto a lowering table 22. The carriage is supported by rails 23, and is reciprocate-d by mechanism including links 24:,` levers 25, `and -links`26, the latter being the invention which is se-4 use of actuated by a 4usual crank mechanism not shown. When the sheet is travelling along the tapes 20, it is guided by guides 27,

-which keep it fiat, and it is taken from the the care stops 29 The rear arms 30, that the the stops 29, and are raised Lprevent the sheet from travelby one from the feed table 17 to the rst impression cylinder, and the sheet is seized by grippers 31.

The cylinder makes one full revolution to wrap the sheet about the cylinder, and then during the next revolution, when the 1eading edge of the sheet is adjacent the rst set of color platescarried by the bed, the cylinder is lowered is made.v The sheet is then carried to 'and seiz ed by grippers 32 carried by the transfer cylinder, and is carried to and seized by grippers 33 carried by the .second impression cylinder. The second impression is then made by the lowering of the second cylinder to bring the sheet into contact with. the ysecond set of plates carried by the bed, after which the sheet is delivered to the tapes 18 and 19, whence it. passes along the tapes 20 and onto the guides 28, which at that moment are positioned to receive the same. The forward movement of the sheet brings it against the stops 29, and the carriage starts forward, bringing the sheet into position a ve the lowering table 22. The arms then swing into place, and' revent backward movement of the sheet uringxthe backward movement of the carria e which now takes place, at which time t e front stops 29 lift and allow the sheet topabsls o" the guides 28 onto the lowering ta e.

,The resent invention contemplates the flame directed onto the printed face of the sheet at one or more points during the travel through the press, thereby to dry, or more properly crystalize', the ink, and to eliminate static charge from the sheet. In the present example, flame is employed at two points, namely: irst, at the first impression cylinder shortly following completion of the first impression, and second, as the sheet is being delivered onto the lowering :sar

ing rod, thereby to be adjusted bodily,

table. At each ofthese points, there are several burners, one of which is shown in Fig. 6. The burner in its preferred form comprises a casing 34, resenting an air inlet chamber 35 and a el inlet chamber 36. Communicating with the air inlet chamber is an air nozzle 37, to which air is su plied under the control lof appropriate va ve means, herein a needle valve 38 cooperating with a seat 39, and having a stem 40 threaded into the casing 34, the outer end of the stem presenting a handle 41. Leakageof air about the stem is prevented by a packing ring 42 and (gland 43, the latter being adjustably threa ed onto the casing 34.

By means of this valve, the proportion ofl air to the fuel may be Varied'at will.

Associated with the air nozzle and in the present example disposed about the latter is a fuel nozzle 44, having a contracted throat 45 adjacent the outlet of the 37. Outwardly beyond this throat, the outlet is widened, and terminates in an annular groove 46, which prevents the flame from eing accidentally extinguished when it is burning at minimum intensity, Adjustment of the fuel supply nozzle to vary the fuel output may be effected by moving the same axially with relation to the air supply nozzle, this being conveniently accomplished in the present example by providing the fuel nozzle with a sleeve 47 threaded on and about a ni ple 48 presented by the casing 34. A loc -nut 49, also threaded onto the nipple, serves to maintain theadjustment of the fuel nozzle. Inwardly-beyond the throat 45, the fuel nozzle presents a chamber 50, to which fuel is supplied 36 through yone or more, herein a plurality of, Fpassages 51, two of which are shown` in ig. 5. Thus it will be seen that by the use of these adjustments, the amount and the relative proportions of air and fuel may be varied atlwill. In practice, the burners are rather closely placed, so that the flames which they project form a continuous sheet of flame from one edge of the paper to the other. y

Air and fuel are su plied to .the burners by supply pi es 52 an 53, extending transversely of t e press and having` branches 54 and 55 (see ig. 6) at intervals leading into the chambers 35 These supply pipes in the present examp e are supported on a transverse rod 56, to which lthey are ap ropriatel secured, as by clamping collars 5 provide with clamping screws 58. By this means, the burners may both lon 'tudinally of the axis o the supportosition the entire group of burners proper y with relation to the edges of the aper, and to present the burners at the est angle to the surface of the paper. In the case of the burners asand radially about air nozzle l from the chamber and 36, respectivel sociated with the first impression cylinder., the supporting rod is conveniently mounted on uprights 59 (see Fig. 1), while in the case of the burners adjacent the lowering table, the supporting rod -ismounted on a carriage 60 (see Fig. 5), same rails 23 which support the carriage 21. To conserve heat, there may be associated with each set of burners a shield' or hood 61, whose internal surface may, if desired, be polished or otherwise treated to present a reflector.

' The fuel, such as common illuminating gas, is supplied to the two sets of burners y acommon supply pipe 62 (see Fig. 2), while the air is supplied to both sets of burners by a common supply pipe 63, the latter being connected to and su plied by a blower 64, appropriately driven y'the press as b a chain or belt 65. While the blower mig t be driven by a separate source of power, it is preferred to have it driven by the press itself, so that when the press vis stopped, the supply of air will cease, and the flame will therefore be reduced.

The gas and air supply pipes 62 and 63 are controlled by automatically operated valves 66 and 67, both of which are controlled by and operate in timed relation to the press, so as to produce a maximum flame at each set o f burners, just as the sheet is passing by, when no sheet is passing. To this valves are provided with actuatin and 69 cooperating with rollers 0 .and 71 carried by an operating rod 72 extending lon 'tudinally of the press, and mounted to sli e in appropriate guides 7 3 andv 7 4. This rod is operated by a suitable part of the press, such 13, which, as shown in Fig. 2 carries a cam 74 cooperating with a wiper, herein a roller 75'carried by one arm of a lever 76, Whose other arm is pivotally connected to the rod 72. This lever is conveniently Afulcrumed on a ivot 77 on a bar 78, whose ends are secure as by screws 79, to a usual gear casing'or. guard 80 for the gear (not shown), which drives the cylinder. A spring 81,

end, the

herein attached at one end to the lever andA at its other end to the supporting bar, constantl tends to maintain the roller in conact with the cain,and to move the rollers and 71 out of engagement with their respective valve operating levers 68 and 69. In the case of the air controlling valve. it is desirable that the valve shall e completely closed when no sheet is travelling past the burners, and to that end, the roller 71, as shown in Fig. 2, at such time clears the lever 69, which it actuates. 'In the case of the gas valve,

'the saine shall remain partly open, thereby to maintain a low ame, except at such times as a. sheet is actually passing the burners.

which rests on thev and to produce a minimum flame as the second impression cylinder levers 68 however, it is desirablethat and 85, and

" vented by a packing ringy 93 and a One convenient way of accomplishing this is to provide the actuating rod 72 with astop collar 82, adapted to engage the guide 73, and thus limit the movement of the rod toward the right, under the influence of the spring. In this way, the roller carried by the rod, cooperating with the lever 68, prevents the gas valve from closing entirely.

One convenient form of valve for the gas and air supplies will now be described, ref erence being had to Fig. 4, which shows the gas valve. This valve comprises a' casing 83, presenting inlet and outlet chambers 84 an intervening seat 86 for a valve 87 having op ositely projecting stems 88 and 89, one guidred by a threaded nipple 90 presented by the valve casing, and the other guided by a cap 91 threaded into the casing. A spring 92, encircling the stem 89 and bearing at one end against the valve and at its other -end against the cap, tends to seat the valve, which however, as previously stated, is normally heldJ slightl Leakage of gas about the stem 88 is pregland 94, the latter being threaded onto the nipple 90,y which also affords a convenient support for a bracket 95, on which the lever 68 is fulcrumed on a pivot 96. -The air valve, being of the same construction, though normally entirely closed, is not shown in detail.

The operation of the machine as thus far described will be reviewed briefly, reference being had to Figspl land 2. The sheet to be printed is fed from the feed board to the grippers of the first im ression cylinder, which makes one full revo ution to wrap the sheet about the cylinder, and then, during the next revolution, when the leadin edge of the sheet is adjacent the first set 0% color plates, the cylinder is lowered to bring the sheet in contact with the plates, thus making the first impression. When the leading.-

edge ofthe sheet reaches a the first set of burners, the o erated valves cause air and pied to operate the burners capacity.4 At this tioned that, with point adjacent automatically gas to be supat maximum the particular press seected for illustration, it happens that a` sheet is being carried past the second set, and it follows that a single set of controls suffices for both sets of valves. A

While the ames are of sufficient intensity to ignite the sheets if the latter were not moved at a sufficient speed, yet the surface speed of an ordinary press is ample to prevent the sheet from being-scorched ever so slightly,.although the heat from the flame isJ so intense that long after the sheet has reached the lowering table, it is too hot for ones hand to ,rest upon with comfort. This intense heat dries, or more ing, crystalizes the. ink, and at the time eliminates static which heretofore has y open.

carriage 60 for the second set of by links 97 `to the levers 25- point, it may be menj.

' travel of the sheet properly speaksame` been a troublesome factor. Owing to the drying action, the printer'is enabled to adjust the ink fountain to supply a fullbody of ink -without serious danger of smutching, commonly called offsetting.

To resume the operation, the sheet islnext taken by the grippers of the transfer cylinder, and is immediately transferred to the grippers of the second impression cylinder, by which it is brought into contact with the sec-ond set of plates carried by the bed, after which the sheet is stripped from the cylinder, and passes first between the tapes 18 and 19, and then between the tapes 20 and guides 27. The carriage 21 being in its rearward position, the tapes 20 propel the sheet into engagement with the front stops 29,- and the carriage then starts forward. At this instant, the automatic valves open fully, and air and gas are supplied to the second set of burners to cause a fiamefof maximum intensity to be directed onto the sheet just at the point where it leaves the tapes 20.

While these burners might remain stationary, yet in a. press having a surface speed of, say, one hundred seventy feet per minute, it is desirable to move the burners forward at a lower spe-cd than that of the sheet, so thatl the actual relative surface speed ofthe sheet is the difference between that of the sheet and that of the burners. An actual surface speed, possibly as low as fifty feet per minute, can be maintained with safety and without danger of burning, or even scorchin the sheet. Of course, thev lower the sur ace speed the greater will be the heating of the sheet, and the consequent drying effect. In the present example, the

urners is connected about midway between the fulcrums of the levers and the pivoted connections of the links 24awhich reciprocate the carriage 21. It follows that the actual relative surface speed of the burners and sheets lis about half that of the sheet.

In the present example, the sheet carria e travels forward only far enough to deposit the sheet on the lowering table 22,-hence it follows that the burner carriage 60 must not go forward a distance equal to the carriage 2l,-otherwise,

In this embodiment,

they would collide.

carriage 1s caused to therefore, the burner reverse its movement after the burners have traversed a part only of the sheet (see Fig. 1). However, the remaining surface of the sheet is thus traversed by the burners during their rearward movement, and of course, inasmuch as the sheet is now stationary, the relative surface speed of the burners to the sheet is the same as before. When a crank -is used to supply the necesary motion of the burner carriage, the latter 1s moving j tion is reversed. In case this slowing down QSI ernor 102, of common should tend to scorch the sheet, the form of the cam 7 4 may be such as to reduce the flame for' an instant, as by providing the cam path with a drop or indentation 98, which allows the spring 8l to assert itself to operate the valves as before described. As sheets of various dimensions are printed inthe same press, provision is made to vary the duration of the maximum ame, so that it shall be maximum only during the traversing of the burners by the sheet. This is conveniently accomplished in the present example by making the depression in the cam adjustable, as by making the cam in two relatively adjustable parts 99, one of which is slotted to receive clamping-screws 100 threaded into the other part, so that by simply lowering these screws, turning one part relatively to the other, ening the screws, the cam may be caused to furnish the desired duration of maximum flame. It will be remembered that.in the present example, the cam is carried by a vertically movable impression cylinder.

This being so, it is evident that provision should be made to compensate for this movenient,otherwise, it would affect the operation of the burners. This compensation is conveniently accomplished, herein, by mounting the cam eccentrically with relation to the cylinder (see Fig. 2) by an amount equal to the vertical travel of the cylinder, the effect being to keep the cam path in the same position which it would occupy if the cam were concentric with a vertically -stationary cylinder.

When the press, for any reason, slows clown or stops, the blower, being driven by the press correspondingly slows down or stops, and correspondingly reduce or stops the forced air supply to the burner When this happens, in the case of the burners on the carriage .60, the flames simply flicker in an upward direction, owing to the absence of the air blast, and the case of the burners adjacent the first impression cylinder, reduction or stoppage of the air blast is insuiiicient to keep the flames from burning the sheet. -To take ,care of this condition, I have provided a gas valve l101 (see Fig. 3), which is responsive to the speed of the press as by the use of a speedresponsive device such as a centrifugal govform, suitably driven by the ress, as by pulleys 103 and 104, and a be t 105,. This valve, like the valve 66, is provided with means for preventing it from closing entirely, it bein provided, for this purpose, with a stop col ar 106 secured tota spindle 107, which constitutes the stem of the valve, as well as the shaft of the governor.

The general operation should be evident and' then tightdo no harm, but in from the foregoing without further description, except to emphasize the fact that the controls of the air last and gasare such as to furnish maximum and minimum heat at the proper times, thus not only avoiding any pbssibility of settingx fire Lto the printed sheet orV to the tympan s eet, but also effecting a marked economy in the use of gas.

Having thus described one the invention, and one means for carrying out the method, but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is: A

1. The method of treating a freshly printed sheet, characterized by directing flame at the moist ink while imparting a relative movement to `the sheet and flame to cause the printed surface to be traversed by the flame.

2. In a printingl press, the combination of means for printing the sheet, means for producing aA flame and directin the same onto the printed surface of the seet, and means for cansino` a relative movement of the sheet and the flame' to prevent ignition of, the sheet.

3. The combination with a printing press, of a burner for producing a fiame to which the printed face of the sheet is exposed during its travel, means operated by the press for causing a periodic reduction of the flame` while t-he press is running, and means operated by said press for reducing said ame when said press stops.

4. The combination with a printing press, comprising reciprocating sheet-feeding means having a sheet-feeding movement and a non-feedin movement, of a burner for producing a ame to which the printed face of the sheet is exposed during its trave nd means for causing reduction of said durin the non-feeding movement of said sheetceding means.

5. The combination with a printin press comprising reciprocating sheeteedin means having a sheet-feeding movement an a non-feeding movement, of a burner, means for supplying said burner with air and fuel, and means for causin a cessation of the supply of air anda re uction of the supply of, fuel during the non-feeding movementof said sheet-feeding means.

6. The combination with a printing comprising reciprocatin s eet eedin means having a sheet-feedmg movementan a non-feeding movement, of a burner, means for supplying said burner with air and fuel', an air-controlling valve, a fuel-controlling valve, 'and means operated by said press for causing said valves to open for the sheetfeeding movement and to move toward their closed ositions for the non-feedingmovement o? said sheet-feeding means.

7. In a. printing press, the combination `of sheet-feeding means,`means for subjectembodiment ofl a flame press lio sheet to the action of iiame while the sheet is ing moved, means responsive to the speed of the press for controlling the flame, and means for causing re` duction of the flame during idle movement of said sheet-feeding means.

' In a printing press, the combination of sheet-feeding means, means for subjecting the printed sheet to the action of ame while the sheet is being moved, means for causing reduction of the flame during idle movement of said sheet-feeding means, and means for causing reduction of the flame when the press stops.

9. In a printing press, the combination of sheet feeding means, means for 'subject-t ing the printed sheet to the action of flame while the sheet is being moved, means for causing the flame to burn with maximum' intensity during feeding movement of said sheet feeding means and to burn with less lintensitj7 during non-feeding movement vof said feeding means, and means for causing the flame to diminish as the speed of the press diminishes and to burn at minimum intensity when the press stops.

10. In a printing press, the combination of sheet-feeding means, a heater for subjecting the sheet to the action of heat, and' means for causing said heater to travel along 'theA sheet in the same direction but at a speed lower than that of the sheet.

11. In a printing press, the combination of sheet-feeding means, a heater for sub'- jecting the sheet to the action of heat, and

means t'o cause said heater to travel alongthe moving sheet in the same direction ata lower speed than that of the sheet and to travel along the sheet in the opposite di- .rection during inaction of the sheet.

12. In a printing press, the combination of reci rocating sheet-feeding means which feeds t e sheet in one direction and has an idle movement in the opposite direction, a heater for subjecting the sheetvto the action of heat, and reciprocating heater moving means to cause said heater totravel along ing the the 'travelling sheet in 'the same direction at a lowler speed than that of the sheet, and to trave,

means. n a printing press, the combination of a heater for subjecting the sheet to the action of heat, means for producing relative movement of said heater and the sheet to cause said heater to traverse the sheet part way across the latter and for movement of said heater in th direction to cause said heater to traverse the remainder of the sheet, and means for causing tempor-aryreduction of the heat produced by said heater during reversal of movement of said heater.

14. In a printing press, the combination of a heater for subjecting the sheet to the action of heat, means for producing relative Vmovement of said heater-and the sheet to cause one to traverse `the other, and heater controlling instrumentalities' including means of adjustment to sheets of different Widths to cause a certain heating .effect of said heater during different predetermined portions of said movement corresponding to the Widths ofsheets and to cause a lesser heating effect-of said heater during other predetermined portions of said movement.

5 In a printing press, the combination of a heater for subjecting the sheet to theaction of heat, .means for producing relative .movement of said heater and the sheet to cause one to traverse the other, and heater controlling instrumentalities including cam having means of adjustment to sheets of different widths to cause a certain heating (effect of said heater during different predetermined portions of said movement corresponding to the widths of sheets and to cause a lesser heating eiect of said heater during other predetermined portions of said movement.

In testimony whereof, name to this specification.

. LEO W. BRUNELL.

I have signed my 

